Best of all, we met our mission by exposing 100's of pilots and FBOs to the noble cause of Wings of Hope. We met people who want to help through volunteering. We also planted the seeds with many to consider donating their aircraft to WOH once they are done flying them. It is our hope that the impact of this flight continues for years to come. May many disadvantaged peoples' lives be touched with the WOH gift. --TAC

CONGRATS TEAM !!

Well congratulations are in order for Bev and Teresa. They were comsistently competitive throughout the race and place 16th overall out of 51 teams. The team brought home 3 leg prizes during the Sunday night banquet for a total of $90.

The prize money will happily help Wings of Hope continue their unending misson to provide sustainable self-sufficiency for the world's poorest of the poor. The charms will remain with the ladies as a tangible memory of their superb team effort.

Thanks to all for the fantastic support and generous donations of time, effort, maintenance, and CASH to literally help keep Classic 47 in the air. The ladies have taken special pride in their goal to educate the public and other racers about Wings of Hope and its worldwide mission.

We will continue to update daily until Classic 47 is back in Missouri and keep you informed of any pending news or pictures as they are uploaded by the team.

*BLOGMASTER*

More Media Coverage

Ok folks, you have been patient for a day or so as we wait for more pictures from the ladies. So I am going to reward you with a couple of fun media bits specific to Classic 47, and one general media portal for lots of past and present news on the Air Race Classic. Enjoy and check back later tonight to see if pix have arrived!

*BLOGMASTER*

Here is the 5 minute radio interview with Teresa at a local St. Louis radio station, KTRS 550. This took place about 7:30 in the morning a week before the race. The team had not yet determined the Roy Clark Tri Pacer could not be ready in time for the race.

Here is an AP syndicated piece out of Fort Meyers, Florida as Teresa sets up the cockpit on the first day of the race.

Now here is actually a rather interesting compendium of various websites and pages that contain details of the Air Race Classic in general. This is a great resource if you want to see what other teams are doing both currently and in the past.

THANK YOU SPONSORS!!!

Obviously it goes without saying, our sponsors help make this race possible. Race teams chew up fuel and without Wings of Hope to help cover the thirsty Cessna's bar tab, the crew (and their families) would have to be scrubbing dishes at each leg of the race just to stay even.

With that said however, sometimes we neglect to mention some of the other oganizations that have the race not only possible but SAFE and fun too.

Without AOPA and their last minute insurance heroics, there is no way most race teams could substitute a plane with less than 48 hours before the reporting deadline. Thank you all for your incredible support and faith that our team would carry-on safely and protected - just in case.

And who can forget Jason and the crew over at Ozark Aircraft Maintenance LLC, in Cameron, Missouri. Not only did they turn our maintenance issues faster than a flapjack, but they are the nicest most honest mechanics you'll ever meet. We are posting their company patch not because we have to, but because THEY EARNED IT!! We will never forget their kindness and sincere effort to get Classic 47 back in the air fast and safely race-ready! Thanks guys. - More updates to follow ...

*BLOGMASTER*

Crew Prepares for final leg

Well since this is the final leg, it is appropriate that we show a little too! No, it's not like Teresa to lay down on the job and let Bev do all the work but that is what this attached picture implies. The remaining two shots are on 6/25/10 the last day of the race and the ladies are dressed with Wings of Hope in mind.

It appears to be fairly calm weather in the East today. Although that makes for the safest flying, the team has been particularly successful skimming along between layers to pick-up favorable tailwinds and speed. That makes for some turbulent and bumpy flying but kind of like a bucking bronco - FUN TOO!

So unless, the crew can hold out in hopes of a leading edge of a pop-up disturbance, they will likely head on in to the big finish sometime before Noon Eastern. If you check the Air Race Classic website or THIS LINK, they have a feed into the Tower Operations frequency there in Frederick, Maryland. You can listen to the various pilots as they talk to the tower and set-up for their final fly-bys and prepare to land. So check in for updates all day from the crew. Pictures will likely come in later tonight. Wish 'em a safe flight for the final leg. Congratulations are soon to be in order!

*BLOGMASTER*

They're OFF to ELKHART 4:15p central

Well we were thrilled to see some of our blog friends had met the plane along with Bev's husband. The crew wiped off the bugs from the leading edges and the Larry applied the Wings of Hope decals.

The FBO fueled up the plane quickly and Bev and Teresa took a break in some air conditioning inside waiting for favorable tailwinds up to Elkhart. They had some light snacks and a couple of bottles of water each to recharge for the next leg.

Unfortunately the portable battery appears to be bad so they will have to go without the ZAON XRX for this leg. The crew will try to get the battery replaced before tomorrow.

The FBO was great as the line crew would bring out carts and inside the red cross had set up snacks. This is the home of some of the collegiate teams so there was a lot of press around to interview the teams. So for now here are the pictures that we could upload along the road. I will try to post one more set by 9:00pm or so.

*BLOGMASTER*

1st Day Racing to Tuscaloosa

Well the team started off strong and as expected the cabin was toasty warm. They hung in there and flew over and under clouds and around a military operations area. The controlled tower in Alabama was fairly slow to move planes in and out on the tarmac so a tad frustrating. People are nice along the way. Take a look at some shots from altitude, Our nifty Wings of Hope Jumpsuits, and one of the ramps.

*BLOGMASTER*

Classic 47 Postcard

After a few attempts to try and get ALL the elements included, the team has settled on the following postcard, which went to press yesterday. I suspected today would be a little short on updates, since the team had planned to be in the air quite a bit. So even though this artwork was previewed on my personal blog site in the overnight feed, this is its debut for Classic 47's blog followers.

Thanks are in order for our fans and of course our primary sponsor, Wings of Hope. If you get a chance, pop over to their site and see how much good they can do with your charity greenbacks. Bev, Teresa, and the entire Classic 47 team sincerely appreciate your consideration and generosity. More updates soon so hang in there!

*BLOGMASTER*

We got up at 5:00 am ET. Just finished breakfast. Lots of compliments on our pink Wings of Hope jump suits. They gave us a data logger to fly with. 37 teams were asked to fly with loggers.

WX should be good to KAYS but there's WX building to KTCL in the afternoon. Only TFR is over Disney World. Should not be a factor. --TAC

PLEASE DONATE!

Especially as the race gets under way, over the next couple of days, Bev and Teresa want to remind everyone to consider making a donation to help out Wings of Hope with their aviation humanitarian programs. Both ladies have been involved with this worthwhile charity for many years. They can attest to Wings of Hope's unmatched effort in providing aid, healthcare, and self-sustaing education for the poor for nearly 40 years.

Simply click on the 'Donate Now' icon on the right frame, to go to our secure server page. Your donation of literally ANY AMOUNT is sincerely appreciated and is fully tax deductible. An amazing 90 cents of every dollar goes to serve the needy DIRECTLY. The other 10% helps keep up our hangar operations, planes maintained and YES, fuel for this air race. The entire race team and Wings of Hope thank you for your kindness and consideration.

*BLOGMASTER*